How much rainfall does it take to grow a cut of silage?

[Plantpotfarmer]

As title.

 

[Pan mixer]

A lot more than I have had, 50 swans currently eating 10 acres it as fast as it is growing

 

[muleman]

As title.

Depends how big a cut you want! We've had none for 5 weeks now, been grand for lambing but grass not growing, i keep thinking 'if we could just have 1 hour of that torrential rain we had for all jan and feb'....but when it starts it no doubt wont stop!

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Depends how good your land/management is at storing rainfall really

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

In the Wheat belt in western Australia an old farmer I worked for there told me you only needed 4" of rain to grow a fantastic wheat crop, but it needed to rain at exactly the right time!
Having had only 8 mm in 6 weeks now I sympathise with you. It does look as if it will change when we get into May.
Let us hope the old saying of "a cool wet May fills the barns with hay" is true.

 

[firther]

Depends how big a cut you want! We've had none for 5 weeks now, been grand for lambing but grass not growing, i keep thinking 'if we could just have 1 hour of that torrential rain we had for all jan and feb'....but when it starts it no doubt wont stop!

i were talking to someone about this the other day, its either all or nothing. When were last time we got april showers, because i can't remember

 

[Al R]

i were talking to someone about this the other day, its either all or nothing. When were last time we got april showers, because i can't remember

11mm this year with 32 days at one point of no rain, last year was 86mm in April.
There’s a serious amount of people been mowing these last 7-10 days down here, cut it off and start fresh once the rain comes I assume - with some of the fert still visible on the ground around it!

 

[Werzle]

Just as we want to start silaging(middle of may) it will come wet for a fortnight-three weeks, same as when we wanted to turn out the cold winds and frosts rolled in

 

[firther]

11mm this year with 32 days at one point of no rain, last year was 86mm in April.
There’s a serious amount of people been mowing these last 7-10 days down here, cut it off and start fresh once the rain comes I assume - with some of the fert still visible on the ground around it!

I've not put much fert down yet untill we get some rain, no doubt it will come at some stage?